Best Things to Do in Panama
Panama is Central America's most cosmopolitan country, a narrow isthmus connecting North and South America that is home to the Panama Canal (one of the world's great engineering achievements), the indigenous San Blas Islands, the highland cloud forests of Boquete, and the Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro. Panama City has the most modern skyline in Latin America.
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The unmissable in Panama
These are the staple sights — don't leave Panama without seeing them.
La Hacienda Park
Jimenoa Falls (Salto de Jimenoa)
Afro-Antillean Museum of Panama (Museo Afro-Antillano de Panama)
Explore Panama on the map
Destinations in Panama
More attractions in Panama
Amador Causeway (Calzada de Amador)
Ancon Hill (Cerro Ancon)
Barro Colorado Island
Barú Volcano National Park
Bayano Lake Caves (Lago Bayano Caves)
Biomuseo
Bridge of the Americas (Puente de las Americas)
Casco Viejo
Chorro el Macho Waterfall
Colón 2000 Cruise Terminal
Contadora Island (Isla Contadora)
El Nispero Zoo and Botanical Garden
Embera Village
Fuerte Amador Cruise Port
Gatún Lake (Lago Gatún)
Isla Pelicano
Los Ladrillos
Metropolitan Cathedral
Metropolitan National Park (Parque Natural Metropolitano)
Mi Pueblito
Miraflores Locks
Panama sits at the narrowest point of the Americas, a country of 4 million whose geographic position has made it the most internationally connected and economically dynamic in Central America. The things to do in Panama span its natural and engineering marvels. The Panama Canal: one of the world’s greatest engineering feats, completed in 1914 after a French failure and American success spanning two continents; the Miraflores Locks Visitor Centre (8 km from Panama City) has a museum and viewing platform where you can watch supertankers transit the locks. Casco Viejo (Panama Viejo), the colonial district of Panama City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautifully restored buildings, rooftop bars, and the ruins of the original city (Panama Viejo, sacked by pirate Henry Morgan in 1671) nearby. The San Blas Islands (Guna Yala): 365 small Caribbean islands inhabited by the autonomous Guna indigenous people, accessible by small plane or 4WD road from Panama City (4 hours); the San Blas are some of the most pristine and culturally authentic Caribbean islands remaining. Bocas del Toro: a Caribbean archipelago on the Costa Rica border with good snorkeling, surf breaks, and a backpacker scene. Boquete: a highland coffee-growing town in Chiriqui province with cloud forest hiking (Volcán Barú, Panama’s highest point at 3,474m), white-water rafting, and excellent birding (resplendent quetzal habitat).
Best time to visit
The Pacific side of Panama (Panama City, Boquete): December through April is the dry season. The Caribbean side (Bocas del Toro, San Blas): the wet and dry seasons are reversed — September and October are drier; February-July is wetter. The San Blas are accessible year-round but February-April (Dry Season on the Pacific side) tends to have calmer seas for island hopping. The Jazz Festival in Panama City (January) is the country’s most prestigious cultural event.
Getting around
Tocumen International Airport in Panama City is the regional hub, with connections to 90+ destinations including the US, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. Within Panama City, Uber and taxis are standard; the Metro has two lines serving key areas. For San Blas, small planes (Air Panama) from Marcos Gelabert Airport serve the main islands (20-30 min); alternatively, the 4WD road to El Porvenir (4 hours) is an adventure. Bocas del Toro: air from Panama City (1 hour) or bus/boat from Costa Rica’s Puerto Viejo area.